Double sealed safety envelope



March 29, 1938. E. B. BERKOWlTZ 2,112,748

DOUBLE SEALED SAFETY ENVELOPE `Filed Oct. lO, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE DOUBLE SEALED' SAFETY ENVELOPE Application October 10, 1935, Serial No. 44,333

4 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to envelopes, particularly to those for use in enclosing securities, currencies and valuable papers sent by express, or other service, and has for its principal object l to provide an envelope of this character with a double seal to insure complete protection of the enclosure.

In accomplishing this and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter described, I have y provided improved details of structure the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an envelope constructed in accordance with the present invention, and illustrating it in sealed condition for retaining an enclosure.

Fig. 2 is a cross section through the envelope on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 to illustrate position of the sealing flaps when in sealed condition.

Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig. 2, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a blank from which the envelope is formed.

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the blank with the side flaps folded and partly sealed.

Fig. 6 is a similar view with the side flaps completely folded, with the bottom flap sealed over the side flaps, and showing the extent of gum on the sealing flaps.

Fig. 7 is a similar view, but showing the secondary sealing flap folded into the envelope over an enclosure and sealed to the body portion of the envelope.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 8 of Fig. '7, to better illustrate seal of the secondary flap.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I designates an envelope constructed in accordance with the present invention, and which is formed of a blank 2, preferably of relatively strong, tough paper or like stock, of which such envelopes are customarily constructed. The blank 2 includes a body portion 3, of rectangular shape, defined by the fold lines 4 5 and 6 1.

Extending from the ends of the body portion, beyond the fold lines 4 and 5, are side flaps 8 and 9, of sulicient length to fold back over the body 3, with the outer edges I0 and II thereof overlapped to provide a central seam I 2, substantially in the center of the envelope, the overlapping portion of one flap being sealed to the underlying portion of the other flap by stripes of adhesive I3 and I4, Fig. 5.

The side flaps 8 and 9 are of greater height than that of the body portion 3 to provide wings I5 I6 and II I8 extending along their upper and lower edges. The upper wings I5 and I6 cooperate to form a secondary sealing flap I9 and guard or tuck flaps 20 and 2l, separated therefrom by notches 22, while the lower wings I'I and I8 form a single guard iiap 23.

The upper and lower edges of the body portion are provided respectively with a primary sealing flap 24 and a bottom flap 25. The flaps 2d and 25 are of suflicient dimensions to extend beyond the wings I 5 I6 and I'I-I8, and to overlap each other when the bottom flap is sealed to the side flaps and the primary flap is moved to closed position.

The fold line 'I extends across the side flaps, as at 2li and 2l, so that when the bottom flap is folded, the guard iiap islfolded therewith over the faces of the side flaps to be secured thereto by a plurality of stripes of adhesive 28. The entire exposed surface 29 of the primary sealing flap, the corresponding area of the tuck flap IQ ZI, secondary sealing flap I8, and the surface 3! of the secondary flap, are covered by sealing gum 32, which is also extended downwardly on the upper portions of the side flaps a distance substantially equal to the height of the secondary sealing flap, as indicated at 33. This gum may be applied by brushing or rolling adhesive material over the exposed portions of the respective gummed areas at a single operation.

It will be noted, by inspection of Fig. '7, that the portion of the primary sealing ap covered by the secondary sealing flap is free of gum, however, when the primary sealing flap is folded to eiect seal of the enclosure, the gummed portion 33 will securely seal this portion of the primary flap so that the primary flap is sealed over its entire area.

In using an envelope formed as described, the enclosure is inserted into the envelope between the primary and secondary flaps, after which the gum on the secondary flap is moistened and the secondary flap is folded inwardly into the envelope so that the gummed portion thereof is sealed against the inner face of the body portion 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 8, to provide the rst enclosure seal.

The gum on the sealing iiap 24, on the tuck flaps 20 and 2 I, and that on the side flaps, is then moistened so that when the sealing flap and tuck iiaps are moved to folded position on the line 6, the gum on the sealing iiap will adhere to the exposed portions of the side flaps and the underlying portion of the bottom flap. The ungummed portion of the primary sealing ap, that was covered by the secondary sealing flap, is also sealed tightly against the side flaps incidental to the extended surface of the gumming with which the ungummed portion contacts, as indicated at 33. Due to folding of the tuck flaps 20 and 2 l and the bottom guard flap 23, the corners of the envelope are securely sealed so that when the enclosure is completed the contents are practically hermetically sealed. Attention is directed to the fact that the gum on the primary sealing flap seals against the gum at the corners of the envelope to provide a double gum thickness Which provides a stronger seal. 'Ihis is possible for the reason that the gum when applied becomes impregnated in the bres of the paper and when the two gums are moistened they run together and form a solid gum.

It is also obvious that by providing gum on both the secondary and primary sealing flaps, a double seal is provided to guard against accidental lloss of the enclosure in case one of the iaps should become loosened.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1` An envelope including front and back portions interconnected along the sides and bottom to form a pocket having an insert openingalong the top of said pocket, a gummed primary closure flap on one of said portions and extending along said insert opening, and a gummed secondary closure'ap on the other portion extending along the opposite side of said insert opening and adapted for sealing contact with the inner face of the portion carrying the primary closure ap, said portion carrying the gummed secondary closure ap having gum extending across the face thereof below'the secondary closure ap cooperating with the gun on the primary closure flap to seal the entire area of said primary closure flap against the portion carrying said secondary closure flap.

2. An envelope including front and back yportions interconnected along the sides and bottom to form a pocket having an insert opening along the top of said pocket, a gummed primary closure flap on one of said portions and extending along :said insert opening, and a gummed secondary closure flap on the other portion of smaller dimentions than the primary closure iiap and adapted for sealing contact with the inner face of the portion carrying the primary closure flap,

said portion carrying the secondary closure ap having gum extending across the face thereof below the secondary closure flap cooperating with the gum on the primary closure flap to seal the entire area of the primary closure flap and to provide a double gum thickness on the corners of the envelope.

3. An envelope including front and back portions interconnected along thesides and bottom to form a pocket having an insert opening along the top of said pocket, a primary closure flap projecting from the edge of the front portion and extending along said insert opening, a secondary closure flap of smaller dimensions projecting from a corresponding edge of the back portion to normally overlie the primary closure flap, said closure ilaps having gum applied on said flaps and across the face of the portion carrying the secondary closure flap whereby the secondary closure iiap is scalable against the inner face of the portion carrying the primary closure iiap and the primary closure flap is foldable over its entire area against the portion carrying the secondary closure flap.

4. An envelope including front and back portions interconnected along the sides and bottom to form a pocket having an insert opening extending along the top of said pocket, a primary closure iiap on one of said portions and extending along said insert opening, corner flaps on the other portion normally overlying the inner face of the primary closure flap and having side edges integrally connected with the primary closure ap and formed as continuations of the side edges of the envelope, a secondary closure flap on said other portion extending along the opposite side oi the insert opening and located intermediate the corner flaps to normally overlie the inner face of the primary closure flap, and gum covering the exposed portions of said flaps and extending across the portion carrying the secondary closure flap, said secondary closure ap being foldable into the interior of the'envelope and sealable against the inner face of the portion carrying the primary closure flap and the primary closure flap and corner flaps being foldable over the portion carrying the secondary closure ap and scalable to said portion over its entire area.

EUGENE B. BERKOWITZ. 

